Galery

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This new tragedy in the Mediterranean took place after the sinking of the vessel carrying illegal immigrants at 100 nautical miles from Paleochora on Crete, bordering the territorial waters of Malta. In the major operation in which military aviation and the authorities of Italy and Malta took part, several bodies were found and nine people were rescued.

The shipwreck was seen by cargo ships passing through the area who alarmed the Coast Guard, and the investigation was taken over by the military aviation authorities. According to those on board, there were 30 people on the ship.

A CPO Japanese ship sailing under the British flag and a CMA CGM Verdi ship - under the Liberian flag, took aboard seven survivors who had to be transported to Greece to receive emergency aid. Only six of them were taken by the Super Puma helicopter of the military aviation authority, because a girl died shortly after she was rescued.

The Super Puma helicopter took off at 00:20 from Rhodes, stopped in Souda to refuel and at 05:37 transported the six immigrants to Crete, where they were hospitalized in Chania at 06:30 in the morning.

By order of the Mayor of Chania, Anastasios Vamvoukas, the rescued people will be accommodated in the city’s nursing home.

These are four men, a woman and a 2-year old girl, suffering from hypothermia; the child who is in the worst condition is expected to be placed in the ICU.

In the same area, the rescue teams have found two bodies in the water, that of an elderly male, and of another child. Reportedly, however, there are dozens of casualties.

The bodies will be transported by cargo ship to Malta.